Do let roommates, friends, significant others, and children know about your schedule. Invite them to join you during your built-in breaks.

Do let roommates, friends, significant others, and children know about your schedule. Invite them to join you during your built-in breaks.

Photo: Paul Bradbury / Getty Images/OJO Images RF

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Do put effort into making your home office comfortable and efficient.

Do put effort into making your home office comfortable and efficient.

Photo: Blend Images/Hill Street Studios / Getty Images/Brand X

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Don't make your home office too comfortable. Naps are frowned upon in most offices, so it's a good idea to find a desk and chair instead of working in bed.

Don't make your home office too comfortable. Naps are frowned upon in most offices, so it's a good idea to find a desk and chair instead of working in bed.

Photo: James Woodson / James Woodson

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The dos and don’ts of working from home

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It’s unclear where it started, but there’s no doubt the working from home movement is thriving in the San Francisco Bay Area. Many local employers have some type of telecommuting policy and some employees have the benefit of splitting their time evenly between home and the office. Yet, the setup can create challenges for people who are new to working from home or don’t feel as productive as they do in the office. Here are some dos and don’ts of working from home.

Build routine
As beings of habit, it’s easy to fall into a pattern at the office. We subconsciously build a regimen with the aid of weekly meetings or by establishing a list of coffee buddies. In your cozy home though, it will take more effort.

When working from home, decide on an activity that will start your work day and stick to it. It may be powering your computer as you make coffee, walking into your home office and closing the door behind you, or creating a mental to do list after walking the dog. Ensure the activity is something that has to be done daily and only by you.

Take breaksPeople who work from home typically have more control of their environment, which could yield longer, more productive hours. Be sure to take breaks. If possible, take your morning, lunch and afternoon breaks at the same time you would at the office. Doing so will not just help with building a routine, but it will help keep the mind fresh. And since the brain runs on glucose, keeping yourself nourished will help you avoid an afternoon burn out.

For those who are parents and have small children at the house, use break times to socialize with them. It may be tougher to keep to a strict break schedule with kids around; though, you may find that adding more breaks will keep you alert to the needs of your children and maintain productivity.

Let others know of your schedule
If you have roommates, a significant other, children, or teens at the house, tell them about your telecommuting schedule. Point out the times that you are free to chat or even invite them to share a meal during the carved-out lunch time. Informing others of the times you are free to chat or hang will reduce distractions. Distractions will always occur as they do at the office, but you can minimize them by enforcing your agenda.

Belo Cipriani is an award-winning author, former staffing professional, a spokesperson for Guide Dogs for the Blind and the Writer-in-Residence at Holy Names University. Learn more at BeloCipriani.com.